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Looking for a review of the top paid surveys sites? With so many websites out there it can be hard to know which ones are legitimate and which ones are worth your time.
Over the years, I have tried out most of the online paid survey sites out there and have come across the good, the bad and the downright spammy.
Here are the top paid surveys sites I still use to top up my income a little each month.
Table of Contents
Top 5 Paid Surveys – Summary
Here are my 5 top paid survey sites:
Are Surveys for Money Safe?
There are some dodgy sites out there, so if you’re thinking of joining any do some research first to make sure you’ve found a legitimate one.
That said, there are lots of survey sites that are safe and genuine.
Do Surveys Actually Pay You?
Yes, there are survey sites out there that do pay.
I’d be lying if I said you could replace your income with surveys but there are definitely some worth doing to bring in a few extra pounds each month.
If you’ve ever considered completing online surveys in the past you might be concerned about which are legitimate, being spammed and getting screened out, or earning pennies after half hour’s work.
There are sites out there like that, but there are also many genuine sites (with some far superior to others).
What is the Highest Paying Survey Site?
The highest and best paid survey site out there is Prolific.
It is used by academics (think universities) to conduct research – therefore, they are looking for quality data from participants and as a result pay very fairly.
The minimum pay equates to £5 per hour, but often it’s much more than this.
Unfortunately, Prolific is in demand so a waitlist was introduced in March 2022.
It’s definitely worth signing up though to be notified when they are accepting new participants.
Which Survey Sites Pay Instantly?
None of the sites that made my top 5 pay instantly, but there are some that I have used in the past that do.
- CitizenMe – as soon as you complete a survey, the reward is paid directly into your PayPal account. Paid surveys are not that regular though, and when they do come around they’re usually for between 10-20p. That said, the surveys are short. So it might be worth downloading the app and checking if you’re bored!
- Qmee – Qmee doesn’t pay automatically, but it doesn’t have a payment threshold so no matter how small your balance, you can cash it out. Personally I find the surveys tedious and often get screened out part way through which is frustrating. You can earn pennies on internet searches though if you install the browser extension – so if you use your computer or laptop a lot, it could be worth installing that to earn some extra pennies for nothing.
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Top 5 Paid Surveys – Review
Prolific
Payout Threshold
£5
Payout Method
PayPal
Referral Scheme?
No*
*There is a referral scheme in place for researchers, but not participants.
As mentioned earlier, Prolific is the best paying survey site. I like it because it has frequent studies available and the payout threshold is low.
You’ll never be screened out because you only get offered studies you meet the criteria for and if something goes wrong during a study you can usually get the reward anyway if you explain the issue you had.
Not all studies can be completed on the mobile browser though, but the study will tell you that before you begin. And when studies do become available, grab them quick – because they fill up fast.
Pro tip: Install the browser extension to get notifications as new studies become available.
Y Live
Payout Threshold
£50
Payout Method
BACS/Cheque
Referral Scheme?
No
Previously known as PopulusLive, Y Live is a survey site that notifies members of new surveys via email.
Pay rate is £1 for every 5 minutes and surveys are usually worth £1-3.
The payout threshold is high at £50, but the surveys are fairly regular and if you complete them all you can cash out several times a year.
They are a bit boring and repetitive to complete sometimes, but it makes my list because it’s a reliable earner.
Once you hit £50, payment is automatic – so make sure your details are up to date.
Payment is issued at the beginning of the month, so if you hit the threshold mid May, you’ll get your payment at the start of June.
One Poll
Payout Threshold
£25
Payout Method
PayPal
Referral Scheme?
No
OnePoll is another website and app based survey site.
Another slow burner with a threshold of £25, but surveys are regular and don’t take long to complete.
Personally, I find the app quite glitchy so prefer to use the desktop version.
I’ve been a member for over 10 years now and seen lots of survey apps and websites come and go during that time.
All the while, I’ve cashed out on One Poll many times, which is why it remains in my top 5.
OnePulse
Payout Threshold
$20
Payout Method
PayPal
Referral Scheme?
No
OnePulse is an app where you earn cash for answering paid ‘pulses’.
The amount you earn depends on your ‘XP level’. You’ll get 7 cents per pulse for Level 1 up to 40 cents per pulse for Level 34.
To increase your XP level you simply need to complete more pulses – so when you have some spare time work through the unpaid pulses to build this up.
You can turn on notifications to get alerts when paid pulses become available which is handy because they fill up fast.
Each pulse takes seconds to complete as it consists of just 3 questions – this is why OnePulse is one of my favourite survey sites.
The payout threshold recently increased to $20, but don’t let that put you off because you can cash out on this one fairly regularly. I tend to cash out on average every 6 weeks.
YouGov
Payout Threshold
£50
Payout Method
BACS
Referral Scheme?
Yes
YouGov is a website and app for completing surveys.
You need to earn 5000 points to redeem your £50 reward but surveys are fairly regular and emailed to your inbox.
You’re also able to earn more points by referring a friend – you’ll get 200 points per referral. This is a handy boost to help you reach the payout threshold more quickly.
It’s a bit of a slow burner but it’s genuine and reliable – and when you do hit that payout threshold it’s nice to get £50 hitting your bank account.
